James Gurney

This daily weblog by Dinotopia creator James Gurney is for illustrators, plein-air painters, sketchers, comic artists, animators, art students, and writers. You'll find practical studio tips, insights into the making of the Dinotopia books, and first-hand reports from art schools and museums.

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All images and text are copyright 2015 James Gurney and/or their respective owners. Dinotopia is a registered trademark of James Gurney. For use of text or images in traditional print media or for any commercial licensing rights, please email me for permission.

However, you can quote images or text without asking permission on your educational or non-commercial blog, website, or Facebook page as long as you give me credit and provide a link back. Students and teachers can also quote images or text for their non-commercial school activity. It's also OK to do an artistic copy of my paintings as a study exercise without asking permission.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Traveling often gives you time in 15 minute intervals. This morning, for example, I found myself on the train platform in Bourges from 7:25 until 7:39 AM.

But that’s enough time for a painting the size of a postage stamp. I got out my Moleskine watercolor book and the other little tools that I keep in the side pouch of the computer case.

There’s the painting on the far right of the second row (click to enlarge). A few minutes later the TGV train passed farms near Vierzon, where the lights of the houses still glowed. The landscapes—and the weather—changed moment to moment.

This is a really fun way to work if you want to tackle new subjects, or to try a new medium, or to explore new compositional ideas.

20 comments:

I feel I should print out this post and stick it inside my sketchbook, it's such a powerful reminder. I often communicate with postcards because I know I'll write enough to fill the small size. Laying out a grid of these tiny rectangles for sketching bestows the same odd freedom. As with the Bourges watercolor yesterday, I love how much feeling and information you pack into a small space.

I usually think -- if I don't have enough time to really do anything -- why bother? And then I just snap some pictures...

But by sitting and observing, and then judiciously putting the main ideas on paper, you are practicing the same chops used to create fully realized paintings. Also, I bet your thumbnails bring back more visceral memories of your travel experience than photos would.

The whole thing kind of plays as a storyboard sequence -- but I'd move the last two shots to the head of the montage along with "near Vierzon" -- so it moves from country to city. Then maybe include some shots of a young heroine sitting interior train, her sad face reflected in the window as the landscape blurs by -- she looks down to a tattered photo gripped tightly in her small hands as the tears well in her ...

Like Daroo, I always feel that 15 minutes isn't enough time to paint anything. It's enough time to get out a pencil & notebook, and I'll draw fellow passengers, but this is a great idea: those postage stamp size paintings. Water soluble colored pencils? You don't have a paint box & water cup that easily accessible, do you?

.... I give up :) outstanding work James - the way you work reminds me of the story of Louis Auchincloss, who authored 57 books (his last at age 90) for much of his life he worked full time as a lawyer - and someone asked, how did he find time to write (he was married, had kids as well) .. he just said he carried a little notebook with him and jotted things here and there - sometimes he had 10 minutes, sometimes 1, sometimes an hour.. eventually all that material adds up to a book.. and another ,and another.

Beautiful blink-of-an-eye mood snapshots! I wonder about the procedure: are these pure watercolors, or watercolor pencils with wash added later? How tiny the brush must be then? Do you use any initial pencil underdrawing, or is it painting right away? Perhaps pen? Apologies for so many questions, I'm just curious to know the technical setup that allows for such speed (but yes, I know the skill is always the magical ingredient!) Thanks a lot for sharing!